Aultmore Distillery Brings Its Special Single Malt Whisky To Drinkers

Editor’s Note: The Whiskey Wash welcomes Tish Lester to our writing team!

Walking down the whiskey aisle of a liquor store is to be seduced by luxurious names: Nadurra, Founder’s Reserve and Superstition, all whisper of far off glens and one-of-a-kind pleasures.  Rare are the days when whiskey is labelled only with the distiller and the age of the spirit.

To be fair, this traditional lack of guidance can be daunting to the would-be whiskey drinker, who doesn’t know his Auchentoshan from his Ardbeg. In fact, it could be argued that the recent marriage of makers and marketers has created more (and more adventurous) whiskey drinkers than ever before.

At least one whiskey label, however, seems to be sticking with the tried and true formula of name and age: Aultmore.

Founded in 1896, and long hailed as elusive, the Aultmore’s fame comes not only from the foggy moss of the glen in which it is crafted, but from the scarcity of its offerings.  The distillery was closed shortly after opening, as fashions changed.  It reopened again, only to be shut down during the First World War. Still, Aultmore persevered. Today, though it is a thriving distillery with over 100 years of excellence, it has but a handful of official offerings ever offered to the public.

John DeWar & Sons, in trying to bring these releases into greater public light, has recently unveiled three expressions of the Aultmore in its “Last Great Malts” range. We outline them below, along with some tasting notes from the distillery, for your consideration:

• The 12 year – Born of fog, bog and brimming wee burns, a verdant nose of dewy moss and delicate flora, sweet liquid tracking a secluded path, gliding through green grass and fresh wild herbs.
• The 21 year – Ethereal summer nights, gloaming air tinged with fruity olive oil and rosemary, then velvety sweetness with soft melon and cereal hues; a sleekit-smooth secret, shared at last.
• The 25 year – Reclined in damp shorn grass, vapours of lime and baked apples, each silken sip unveiling lush vanilla and buttery biscuits; dreich skies deserve a top-class dram.

The Aultmore 12 and 25 year offerings, in keeping with the distillery’s tradition of mystery, will be available in limited quantities in just 10 countries. The 21 year is even more elusive, being a single year travel retail exclusive.